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Zach Hamill
| birth_place = Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada | draft = 8th overall | draft_year = 2007 | draft_team = Boston Bruins | career_start = 2008 | caption = }} Zach Hamill (born Zachary Robert Hamill on September 23, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing for Dukla Jihlava of the Czech Extraliga. He was drafted in the first round (eighth overall) by the Boston Bruins in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Playing Career Junior Zach was drafted in the first round, third overall, by the Everett Silvertips in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft. Shortly after on October 8, 2003, he made his Western Hockey League (WHL) debut against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Although he played in only four regular season games in the early part of the 2003–04 season, Zach finished with two assists before being reassigned to the Port Coquitlam Buckaroos of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL). He returned to the Silvertips for their 2004 WHL playoff run, playing in 20 games. The 2004–05 season was his first full WHL season, playing in 57 games. He finished his rookie season with a respectable 33 points. This season also saw Zach represent Canada Pacific at the 2005 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Lethbridge, Alberta. During the off-season, Hamill represented Canada at the 2005 U-18 Junior World Cup in Břeclav, Czech Republic, and Piešťany, Slovakia. In his sophomore season, Zach continued to better his play. In December, he represented Team WHL in the 2005 ADT Canada–Russia Challenge. He finished the year with 59 points in 53 games, an average of over a point per game. His play was rewarded when on June 22, 2006, he was invited to Canada's National Junior Team Development Camp. Zach's 2006–07 season was arguably his best. In November, Hamill once again represented Team WHL in the 2006 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge and in January, he played in the 2007 CHL Top Prospects Game. He was named the WHL's player of the week for the week of January 22–28, scoring 13 points in 4 games. He was also named the player of the month for January after collecting 24 points in 12 games. With 93 points at the end of the season, Zach won the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL's leading scorer and was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team. With his 61 assists and 93 points, he claimed both the Silvertips' single season assists and points records. He also finished the season with seven Silvertips franchise career records. Professional On August 8, 2007, shortly over a month after being drafted by the Boston Bruins, Zach signed his first professional contract with the organization. After attending the Bruins' training camp in 2007 and playing in one pre-season game, he was returned to the Silvertips for the 2007–08 WHL season. At the completion of the Silvertips season, Zach joined the Providence Bruins, the Boston Bruins' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. During a recall stint with the Bruins in the 2009–10 season, he was credited with his first NHL point on April 11, 2010, with an assist against the Washington Capitals. During the 2010–11 season, Zach played in three games for the Boston Bruins, earning an assist against the Montreal Canadiens on February 9, 2011. He was recalled to Boston during the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs where the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Although Zach did not qualify to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, he received a Stanley Cup ring. On February 6, 2012, the Boston Bruins placed him on waivers; after clearing waivers on February 7, he was sent down to the Providence Bruins. On May 26, 2012, he was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for forward Chris Bourque. With the 2012–13 NHL lockout in effect, Zach was directly assigned to the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. In the 2012–13 season, he tallied 22 points in 40 games with the Bears before he was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Casey Wellman on January 31, 2013. Zach remained in the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage and contributed with 18 points in 26 games. On April 11, 2013, he was reassigned on loan by the Panthers to the Milwaukee Admirals. In July of 2013, Zach signed a two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He failed to make the team out of training camp and was assigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. He had difficulty being productive in Utica, contributing 9 points in 21 games. In December of 2013, Zach was put on unconditional waivers by the Canucks after they and Hamill mutually agreed to terminate his contract. On December 24, 2013, he signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In 13 games, he recorded one goal and two assists. He was not re-signed at the end of the season. On August 29, 2014, Finnish Liiga club HPK announced they had signed Zach to a one-year contract. On September 4, 2015, Zach signed an initial two-week contract with HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss National League A. In the 2015–16 season, he immediately impressed in Fribourg, earning another two-week extension, collecting five goals in his nine-game stint. On October 9, 2015, Zach was released by Fribourg as he was signed as a temporary injury cover for one-month to play with rivals HC Ambrì-Piotta. He was subsequently signed for the remainder of the season in Ambrì on November 3. Zach was featured in eight games with Ambrì before he was mutually released from his contract to play out the remainder of the season in Germany with the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). As a free agent over the following summer and mid-way into the 2016–17 season, Zach belatedly signed a one-year contract in the Swedish Allsvenskan, agreeing to terms with IF Björklöven on November 21, 2016. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs Canada }} International Accolades Records *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for points in a season (93) *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for assists in a season (61) *Everett Silvertips' had held franchise record for career games played (250); Shane Harper is the current record holder *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for career points (262) *Everett Silvertips' had held franchise record for career goals (87); Shane Harper is the current record holder *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for career assists (175) *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for career playoff games played (62) *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for career playoff points (37) *Everett Silvertips' franchise record for career playoff assists (27) Personal Life Zach was born on September 23, 1988, in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, to Scott and Lonnie Hamill. He has two siblings, Carson and Paisley. His brother, Carson, played junior hockey for the Langley Hornets of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and currently plays at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. He attended Riverside Secondary School in Port Coquitlam. Category:1988 births Category:Canadian ice hockey players Category:Canadian ice hockey centres Category:Boston Bruins draft picks Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Barys Astana players Category:HC Ambri-Piotta players Category:Everett Silvertips players Category:Providence Bruins players Category:Hershey Bears players Category:San Antonio Rampage players Category:Utica Comets players